Talk:Knight Bus

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I am about to remove a section from the Stan Shunpike part regarding his arrest in HPB. Someone compared this to the arrest of people in the So-Called War on Terror (which is a misnomer if you ask me). Let me first say, I agree with the sentiment and think you may be correct, but unless Rowling has given any indication of this, I think it should be considered speculation and/or wishful thinking. And like I said, I'm not removing it because I don't agree with the analogy, as an anarchist I think it is perfect, but to say Rowling is criticizing the So-Called War on Terror" is absurd unless you can back it up.

[edit] Note to anyone intending on splitting off a section

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[edit] Area of operation includes Wales?

I'm pretty certain I recall the KB calling at a Welsh town in PoA, letting off Madam Marsh (the vomitously green passenger who seems to turn up every time :-). If so, we can remove the "(presumably)". HTH HAND —Phil | Talk 12:49, 7 November 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Shunpike and Politics

As to whether Stan Shunpike's arrest and imprisonment are intended as a comment on current events, I presume they are not, directly. But there is certainly widespread talk about it.

Rowling herself brings up Shunpike in relation to terrorism in an interview here: http://www.mugglenet.com/jkrinterview2.shtml

Discussion of the Shunpike metaphor can be found in mainstream media, e.g., "When Harry Met Osama", http://www.slate.com/id/2123105/

This issue reminds me of the speculation that L. Frank Baum's story "The Wizard of Oz" was a parable about the silver vs. gold monetary issue of the 1890s, with the yellow brick road (supposedly the gold standard), the silver slippers (ruby only in the movie), the cowardly lion (William Jennings Bryan), the scarecrow (farmers), the tin woodsman (industrial workers), etc., etc. Of course it doesn't fit together into any kind of tidy critique of 1890s politics, and I doubt that Baum had that in mind. HOWEVER, he wrote the story when the fury was at its height, and he was undoubtedly influenced.

When I was in college, I wrote a story set in medieval times, and the professor showed it to the class as a retelling of Watergate. "That's not what I meant!" I said, but he pointed out parallel after parallel after parallel, and I had to admit he had a point. Watergate was in the air, and I breathed it.

Anyway, I would think the widespread discussion of the Shunpike case merits at least passing mention in the article, if only to say that there is little or no evidence Rowling intended it as commentary.

Belated signature: Kestenbaum 14:45, 17 January 2006 (UTC)